Birthday
by RainboIsland
Summary: It's been two years to the day, and that means tomorrow's Emma's thirtieth birthday. Can Ruby keep her from freaking out?


"Do you realize how old that is?" Emma was leaned against the windowsill. Watching the sun dip below the horizon. With a very displeased look on her face.

"It's not that old Emma." Ruby giggled. Slowly closing the two foot gap between them, and bracing her arms around the blonde from behind. Resting her palms against the sill next to her lover's. Closing Emma between her and it. "Do you have any idea how old Granny is?" She asked in the sheriff's ear, tickling her neck with the way her breath moved a bit of blonde hair about.

"But it is old." Emma all but whined. Turning around in her enclosure, and looking up at Ruby's humored features.

"So you're going to act like you're four the night before you turn thirty?" Ruby teased.

"Don't say it!" Emma pressed a hand to Ruby's mouth. Which Ruby, without ease, pried off.

"Why are you so freaked out about this?" Ruby asked, wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist. All joking aside, she was really wondering why her girlfriend seemed so distressed about this milestone.

Ruby really herself didn't have such a firm grip on age, or the passing of time. In Storybrooke... it just never stood out as important... Until Emma had come around.

"I just... I'm scared to..." Emma looked away suddenly. Leaning forward, and easily burying herself in Ruby's neck. Embarrassment burning on her cheeks.

"Scared to what?" Ruby asked, fingers gently grazing down the center of her just over a year long lover's back. It sent a small chill down her spine, and the gentle reassurance present in Ruby's voice was enough to encourage Emma to voice her silly fears.

She had learned, a bit slowly, how easy it was to share these things with Ruby. How easy it was to be open, vulnerable, around the brunette.

"I'm scared to grow up..." She swallowed a bit thickly. Her cheeks heating again. "I'm scared to be responsible, and mature..." Emma leaned her head against her lover's shoulder again. Hiding less this time, in favor of just soaking up being close to her, and the comfort it brought.

"You never really have to grow up. I mean... you're already pretty responsible. Mature... who needs to be mature? I'm probably not helping... what I'm trying to say Emma is... How long you've been alive has no dictation over how you act. You're a strong person, and I don't think rounding up to another ten is going to change who you are." Ruby turned herself just a bit, to rest her head chin on top of Emma's head.

"Okay?" With that prodding, Emma released the brunette. Moving back just a smidgen, to look her in the eye.

"Okay..." The silence that followed seemed to be just begging for a kiss. So a small one was given. Then Emma stated, in the small space between them afterward. "But it doesn't stop me from feeling old."

Ruby let out a small laugh, almost like a giggle. "Do you think I could fix that?" She questioned, running her hands down from where they had taken up residence on the blonde's shoulders. Down over her rather toned back. To give her denim covered rear a firm squeeze.

Illiciting, a small squeak from Emma.

"Maybe." The blonde grinned, leaning in for another kiss from Ruby. Which she did not receive. Instead, the brunette took a few steps back, leading Emma to the island of the kitchen.

"Do you wanna feel, stupidly young, and juvenile for a night?" Ruby asked, breaking their contact to move around the the bar.

"Depends." Emma grimaced. "Do we have to leave the apartment?" That question made Ruby laugh giddly. Pressing a hand to her mouth to muffle it. But smiling stupidly when she released it.

"No. Not if you and Mary Margaret have any decent amount of alcohol."

"I'm pretty sure we do." Emma replied. Standing herself up on the bottom of the stool she had been seated in to look over the island. "Why? Ruby are you going to try to get me wasted?" Emma grimaced, she really didn't want to experience a bad hangover with her girlfriend around.

"No... Just the right amount of intoxicated. Perhaps we could play truth or dare or something dumb. Or just take advantage of the fact that we have the apartment to ourselves." A suggestive eyebrow raise was added there. Then a quick kiss, and Ruby set off to fine whatever alcohol there was.

–

A few hours later they found themselves, _the right amount of intoxicated_. After a game of truth or dare between just the two of them. Which ended with both lacking a bit of clothing, and rather turned on.

So tumbling onto Emma's bed together was no surprise. Neither was the fevered making out on it that followed. Or when the rest of their clothes were gone, and they spent quite a bit of time testing how far they could take the other into euphoria.

A rather difficult task with the alcohol they had consumed muffling both of their minds.

But that didn't stop them from becoming well spent. Laying wrapped up in each other, and the sheets.

"What time is it?" Ruby barely whispered against Emma's neck where she had nestled herself after about the third or fourth but certainly the last time around. Just loud enough to be heard if Emma was awake, but quiet enough she wouldn't wake her if she was already off to sleep.

She seemed to be awake.

"Two... thirty something." She replied, words slurred more with drowsiness than any alcohol.

"So it's officially you're birthday." Ruby stated, thinking more out loud than actually informing Emma of the fact. "Happy thirtieth birthday, love." The brunette wished into the darkness. Humming the first line of Happy Birthday against Emma's sensitive neck.

Getting a little noise somewhere between one of approval and gratitude, and one of childish distaste.

Ruby just smiled wider, and attempted curl herself more so into the perfect grooves of Emma's body. They fit almost like puzzle pieces sometimes.

–

Emma woke up with an extra layer of morning grogginess the morning of her birthday. The air feeling much cooler than it had the night before when she and Ruby had been sure they only needed a sheet. Bodies still flushed from heat after their bit of a sexcapade.

Now Emma was craving the blanket at the bottom of the bed. But her body felt much to heavy to get it.

Just as her slow working brain was actually starting to consider moving from this perfect position. The sound that had awoken her in the first place made it's self known.

A knock, that echoed up through the empty loft-like space. Coming quite obviously from the front door. Then there was a loud noise like scuffling, and a small hissed shout of 'Henry!' And Emma was suddenly very much awake.

She was supposed to take Henry today, for more than half the day. They were going to have some birthday thing for her.

But that wasn't until noon.

It _was_ noon.

Henry was in the apartment. That became obvious very suddenly, as footsteps could be heard on the stairs.

"Ruby! Rubes wake up!" Emma gave the brunette a small shake. Glancing back to the door every few seconds. But she only got a small groan, and Ruby sinking further into her in response. A hand fluttering about trying to keep the one that had been on her shoulder away.

Emma within seconds knew any attempts to wake Ruby would be fruitless, and she was out of bed, and searching for clothes as fast as possible. Footsteps, footsteps quick and rapid on the stairs.

The sheriff caught the door before it came open, and she stood quickly in the way of the opening. Just in case Ruby took that moment to actually wake up.

Henry gave a cry of "Happy Birthday!" Thin arms flinging themselves around the blonde's neck, and Emma was grateful for the fact that he was short enough still that his eyes didn't reach over her shoulder.

She knew it was her fault for letting it come to this level of casualness that Henry was allowed to come in whenever he wanted, and this same thing had happened almost twice before. But it was worth it for all the other time she got to spend with Henry, and even now for the tight Happy Birthday hug he was giving her. While she tried not think about the fact that she probably smelled like sex.

She definitely didn't feel old, or anywhere near mature this morning.

But she did feel loved, and like a part of her family, and she knew that feeling would probably last all day. To the surprise party she knew Ruby, Henry, and Mary Margaret had planned for her, and into the night when she was going to ask Ruby about moving in together.

Two years ago she had gotten Henry on the doorstep for her birthday, now here he was again, and look how much she had gained since then.

A family.


End file.
